S8UL, a prominent name in esports and gaming content globally, has secured its third title at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 as Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram emerged victorious in the Road to EWC qualifier held at DreamHack Atlanta. Aravindh’s triumph marks the first time an Indian player has qualified for the Chess main event at this prestigious tournament.
The qualifiers comprised a group stage followed by playoffs, featuring two games per series and Armageddon as the tiebreaker, all played within a 10-minute timeframe with no increment. Aravindh progressed to the Upper Bracket (UB) semifinals from Group B after defeating several opponents, including Kyler Raines, Justin Liang, Oleksander Bortnyk, and Christopher Woo.
Aravindh’s journey continued with wins in the UB semifinals and final, securing his spot in the grand final where he faced off against Alexey Sarana. Despite initial setbacks, Aravindh displayed remarkable composure, ultimately winning the Armageddon decider and clinching victory in the qualifiers, earning USD 15,000 in prize money and a place among the eight qualified players for the EWC 2026 Chess main event.
With this achievement, S8UL has confirmed its participation in the EWC 2026 Chess event, adding to its successful qualification campaigns in Fortnite and Honor of Kings. Aravindh expressed his pride in qualifying for the Esports World Cup and thanked the S8UL team for their unwavering support, emphasizing the competitive nature of the event and the importance of every decision in the high-pressure matches.
Fellow S8UL Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Pranesh M are also vying for qualification in the EWC 2026 Chess event, with Nihal currently in a qualifying position through the Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard. The organization’s focus on promoting Indian talent on a global scale has been highlighted by Aravindh’s historic qualification, underscoring India’s potential in the esports arena.
